Mind Scans to Map Decision Making Mechanics – by michael (32% noise) ViewSkiprrangel writes âNewsweek is running an article on the fMRI, which tracks brain function by measuring blood flow, and using it for watching the mechanics of economics and choice. Best quote on economic choice: ââ¦ there is no quantity of juice sufficient to get a male monkey to look away from the hindquarters of a female in estrus.â H. Hefner has known that all along.â

love-hate relationship of Science and Media – by abde (Score: 5, Interesting) Threadarticles like this are especially frustrating to MRI physics geeks like me, because thereâs a delicate balance bwteen wanting the media to help promote science, and watching helplessly as they mangle it into pure science fiction. The BOLD effect by which fMRI observes brain activity is orders of magnitude removed from the sensitivity of indivdual neuron measurements, and as other commentators have pointed out thereâs a real limit on what you can expect to understand about human thought processes using that tool.

Iâve actually started a blog devoted to megnetoic resonance imaging (http://refscan.blogspot.com/ and would like to invite anyone else interested in MRI to visit and comment. Our patron Saint is Magneto 🙂